You belong with me
by zoolover123
Summary: This is a story about a young bunny, Judy Hopps whose dream is to travel the world, and generally belong somewhere. Everything changes in her life, once she is trapped in an another world by a strange rock, where her only salvation is a fox.
1. Chapter 1

"Then the bad fox grabbed the little bunny and tried to eat her!" said a grey rabbit who was sitting on her daughter's bed.

"No!" yelled Judy, a frightened little bunny was listening to her mother's bed time story. She was covered with a woolen blanket and focused intensely on her mother's story,  
concerned.

"What... what did the bunny do?" Judy asked her mother.

"Nothing. She died."

"Oh..." Judy was confused.

"What did you learn from that story?" her mother asked expecting the right answer.

"That we must never trust foxes." Judy replied proudly, without a shadow of a doubt.

"That's my girl." she kissed her daughter goodnight, and left the room closing the door behind her.

 **20 years later...**

"Mum I'm home!" exclaimed Judy, holding two plastic bags full of products her mum needed.

"Oh good. Did you get everything?" her mother asked as she appeared from the kitchen.

"Yes. Everything in the list." Judy answered, while helping her mum with the bags. "Hey mum, I wanted to ask you something. I saw a rock. A very weird one."

"Really?" her mum asked surprised, but she obviously did not believe her daughter.

"It had something written on it."

"Yeah, sure. Can you pass me the butter please?" she asked, ignoring Judy.

"Mum! You're not listening!" Judy was starting to get upset. "Can I at least explore it? You know... bring it home... examine it." Judy asked her mum innocently. "Mum?"

"Yeah, yeah sure." Judy's mum was always distracted in the kitchen, and that didn't please Judy. Of course, sometimes, as a young lady Judy was, she wanted to explore the world, and her mum wouldn't let her. So her being distracted, was a chance for Judy to do whatever she wanted.

Consequently, she decided to bring the weird rock home, with her. It was blue, not really big but it was heavy. Struggling, she finally got home holding the mysterious rock with both paws. Entering her bedroom, she closed the door behind her. Relieved, and quite happy, she placed the rock on her small desk. She grabbed her old trusty magnifier and examined it carefully. It was a perfect moment, until her mother entered the room.

"Judy, I can't find my glasses, anywhere. Do you know where-" her mother glanced at Judy. "What is that thing on your desk?" she asked strictly.

"It's the rock I was talking about, remember? I asked you, and you said-"

"Judy!" her mother suddenly yelled, making Judy jump slightly. "How many times do I have to tell you not to bring stuff like that! Have you heard of the word bacteria?  
You're... you're unbelievable! What am I going to do with you?"

Judy was speechless. Her mum has never yelled like that pefore. She felt underprivileged. She was just curious about this rock, and her mum was overreacting! Her mum continued yelling, her blood boiling, getting all over her body. Her face as red as a tomato.

"Mum!" Judy cried out. "Stop screaming! I didn't do anything bad!" she exclaimed, clearly not feeling guilty for making her mum worried and upset again.

"I don't want to live the rest of life cooking and cleaning like you! I want to be curious, wander, and travel! I don't want to be stuck here forever!" Judy explained herself.

" _You belong here!_ " her mum yelled back.

That was it. Judy's face was red and a deep frown was plastered on her face. Why can't her own mother understand her priorities? Her goals? She felt like her world was crushing down. Judy couldn't keep it inside her anymore.

"Maybe I don't want to belong here!" she cried right at her mother's face, shamefully.

Not waiting for her mother's response, she grabbed the rock and her magnifier and got out of the house. She started running. Running as fast as possible. She wiped the hot tears off of her face, trying to be strong.

Soon enough, she stopped and looked back. Breathing heavily she nodded to herself as soon as she realized she was far enough from home. She could barely see a small square from wherever she was standing now. She sat at a nearby lemon tree. She was exhausted, both physically and mentally. She looked at the rock in her paws.  
She frowned as she examined it again. Now she was sure. It certainly had something written. She tried to make out the words, but she couldn't. Her mum's voice ringed in her ears. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Exhaling, she let all her problems go for just one minute. She tried to read again.

"Take me to a place, far away from here. Take me to a place where I belong."

She looked up and her jaw dropped. There was no lemon tree. No little square could be seen from far away. She was sitting on the cold ground, surrounded bu huge rocks floating in the sky. Colorless mountains with no green on them. She stood up.

"Ouch!" she screamed in pain, as she stepped on something. She looked down and picked up the weird object. It was a diamond. A shiny, glassy diamond. She looked up at the sky. It was grey. No sign of blue. Only clouds.

 _"Where am I?"_


	2. Chapter 2

She didn't know where she was. It was a place she has never seen before. It was strange, because her family, being farmers she used to travel with her father in order to sell carrots. However, never had she seen a place like that. Judy just kept walking. She felt lost, insecure. And scared. She looked at the rock in her paw. She examined it again with her eyes roaming up and down the object, rapidly.

Being so focused on this object, she failed to notice that someone was passing by. She looked up, only to see a fox approaching her.

"E-excuse me." she started. She glanced at him. He was wearing a green Hawaiian shirt, a blue tie and light-brown pants. He was holding a bag, which was laying on his back.

"Uhh... hello?" she asked again hoping that he would reply.

"Yes?" he finally replied, quite annoyed, not making eye contact with her.

"Do.. you happen to know where am I?" she asked.

"How am I supposed to know?" he answered, holding a sleepy gaze.

"No, I mean... what is this place?" she explained.

"Anonymous."

"Excuse me?"

"I said Anonymous. It's the place's name." he replied with no emotion.

"Is there any possible way to get out of here?" Judy asked hoping that he would reply positively.

"No." he answered dryly, grabbing his bad again ready to leave.

"Wait!" she found herself shouting again.

He glanced down at her, surprised by her unexpectedly loud voice. The locked eyes. Judy blinked.

"Please. I need your help." she broke the silence, trying not to look at his emerald eyes.

He sighed. "There is a way out." he finally said trying to steal a glance. "But it's too far from here. Walk straight from here, and follow the red sand." he said showing her with his paw the never-ending road behind them.

"Will you take me there?" she asked suddenly.

"What?" he finally asked with some color in his voice. His eyes widened, making her more nervous.

"I don't know if you'll manage to understand it, but I'm an outlaw. They're chasing me. And I'm trying to get away from them." he then showed with his finger that endless road that leads to the exit of that place. "There. It's where the mainland is. They are all there. Consequently, I'm not going there." he said and started walking away again.

Judy panicked and ran next to him. "I beg you, I need your help!"

"I can't be trusted." he said, never stopping walking fast.

" _I trust you!_ " she found herself saying. He didn't stop. Judy couldn't think of anything to change his mind. Her heart was beating fast. So fast, that she stopped running and placed her paw on her heart. Then she thought of something.

"You can run away with me!" he stopped walking, his back facing her. "You said you're an outlaw and that you're being chased. You can come with me. My mum will treat you right, and we'll find a permanent house for you. You'll start a new life. Just... help me, and I'll make it up to you." she sounded so desperate. She just wanted to go home.

He turned to face her. He looked skeptical about it.

"Okay." he finally agreed. She took a deep breath, ready to thank him.

"But-" he paused her happiness.

"Remember this. I'm _not_ your friend or buddy." She nodded as they started off their journey, together.


	3. Chapter 3

Judy was exhausted. They had been walking for 3 hours with no water, or food, or rest.

"Can you please tell where exactly we're going?" she asked trying to catch a breath.

"We're heading to the other side of this place. The outskirts, where there's a gate. Once you enter it, it takes you where you belong." he simply said, not making eye contact.

"Wait... you said that it takes me where I belong?" she asked as her eyes widened and she stopped walking from her small shock.

"Yes. Is it that bad?" he paused and looked at her.

"But.. but what if I don't belong home? What if I.. belong here?!" she remembered the rock and the things that were written on it. "The rock." she whispered.

The fox looked at her and tilted his head, trying to understand what she just said. "What?" he decided to ask.

"The rock! I read some words, and I entered this world!" she explained. "I know how to go home! I'll just read it again!" she exclaimed excited.

"You can't do that." he interrupted her emotions.

"Why not?!" she frowned.

"Because..." he started as he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "I threw it to the river we walked by, some minutes ago."

"You did what?!" she yelled, clearly not believing him.

"It was heavy, and you asked me to put in my bag. I threw it, because I thought you wouldn't need it." he said looking sad, but she could tell that he didn't really care.

Judy pulled her ears down, frowning. Her face as red as a tomato. She wanted to hit him so badly.

"Oh come on, Carrots. It was useless, and let's face it. I know this pace better than you do, and I'm sure that a rock is not your salvation." he said as he continued walking.

"For your information, it was not useless since it brought me here." she continued, following him. "Plus. My name is not "Carrots". My name is Judy Hopps." she said proudly.

"What is your name, Mister fox?" she wondered.

He stared at her, surprised. She smiled at him tilting her head to the left. He chuckled seeing her sudden action. "Nick Wilde." he finally said.

"So, Nick..." she started. "What is that thing, in your bag?"

"Twigs." he answered, still smiling, never making eye contact.

"Why do you need them?"

"I'm making wooden arrows. To protect myself, from the soldiers that are chasing me."

"No offense, but how does a wooden stick protect you from the soldiers?"

"I'm not collecting "sticks". They are special twigs that come out from a specific kind of tree, which also grows fruit that make you immortal." he explained annoyed and offended.

"What kind of trees are that?" she asked.

"You have many questions." he frowned.

"Well, I haven't been here for too long, you know!" she exclaimed loudly.

"Yeah, I can tell that." he said with a mischievous look on his face. She felt annoyed by his statement, but she quite liked his company. She didn't feel that bad after all.

It was getting darker and darker. They were both tired.

"I think that we could rest here for some hours." he said as he placed his bad on the cold soil. They both sat down at a nearby willow. Nick opened his bag, and pulled out some twigs, carving them with his knife, making arrows. Judy rested her head on the tree.

"Really, I was wondering." she broke the silence.

"Hm?"

"Why are you being chased?" Judy asked as she scooted closer to him.

Nick continued carving the twig. He frowned, as if trying carve this specific twig perfectly. Judy waited for him to answer patiently.

"I stole some seeds." he said, never stopping carving his twigs.

"Seeds?"

"Yes. Seeds that grow those immortal trees, I talked to you about. The king banned those trees. He just wants them for himself."

"Why did he ban them?"

"Because he doesn't want us to live forever. So, I stole them, and I plant them. It's easy because they grow overnight."

"Wow..." she exclaimed impressed. "He is not a very generous king, is he?" she started.

"Exactly. And now, he's chasing me." Nick said looking down.

"If they find you... what will they do to you?" she asked. He didn't reply. He just looked at her deep in the eyes giving her a sad smile.

Once she realized the consequences, she gasped and her eyes widened. Nick chuckled as he lowered his ears and eyes again. She placed her paw on his knee, and he jumped slightly from her sudden touch.

"You are such a kind - hearted animal. I'm sure everything is going to be just fine. They will not catch you." she comforted him.

"And what am I gonna do? Run away for the rest of my life?" he asked upset.

"Nick, I told you that you'll come with me. We'll find a proper home for you. _I promise_." she assured him, trying to steal a glance from his emerald eyes. She smiled at him politely. He glanced at her, and gave her a side-smile as well. Suddenly he felt weird.

He felt as if his heart will jump out of his chest. Her eyes were like diamonds. So beautiful and full of life, _he thought._

His eyes are so beautiful, _she thought_. It's like looking at a colorful forest. A forest, hiding many secrets.

"I think that we should... uhh.. rest for some hours." he nervously said. She nodded and laid on her back, as he placed his arrows in his bag. She gazed the sky. It was pitch black, and only the moon could be seen.

"It's not like that." Nick explained. "It's usually full of stars, brighter than the moon itself." he said before she could ask. He laid across from her, facing her.

"Goodnight." she said smiling.

"Goodnight." he said, as Judy smiled again, closing her eyes.

" _Carrots_." Nick whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

Their next day started off with a long walk. They collected some twigs from the few immortal trees that were left around. After that, they continued walking forward, following the red sand.

"I'm hungry!" Judy complained placing her paw on her stomach.

"We'll eat soon." he glanced at her smiling. "I know a nice place, we could eat." he continued, trying to calm her.

"Finally! I'm starving."

Nick chuckled loudly, seeing her like that. After some minutes they entered a forest full of different kind of trees. Enormous trees, ten times the size of both of them. Nick suddenly stopped, placed his bag down, and looked up.

"Can you see the red fruit up there?" he asked pointing his finger at a tree, full of red fruits.

"Apple tree?" she asked tilting her head, and frowned as she tried to examine the fruit.

"No. It's a _Hunger_." he said as he hugged the brunch of the tree, trying to climb it.

"What's that?" she asked confused.

"It's a fruit that keeps you full for 24 hours from the moment you bite it."

"Wow... this place is getting weirder weirder." Judy claimed.

Successfully, he climbed at the very top of the tree and grabbed two fruits. "You climb the other tree." he told her as she climbed down, carefully.

"Aren't two enough?" Judy asked placing her paw on her hip.

"I really don't know how many days we need in order to reach our destination, and this fruit can keep you full for only 24 hours." Nick explained, placing the fruit in his bag. Judy nodded, and begun climbing the nearby tree, targeting with her eyes a Hunger. She climbed carefully, holding the tree tightly and trying not to fall down.

As she placed her leg on a small branch, she failed to notice that it was unstable. She slipped, and screamed as she felt herself falling down. She closed her eyes shut. She landed on the soil, but it didn't hurt at all. She opened her eyes, only to find Nick holding her bridal-style. He was staring at her, with one brow up, holding an unimpressed look. She glanced up at him, and they locked eyes, once again.

Unexpectedly, Nick let her go, and turned his back to her, as he collected the fruits that fell down, after her fall. Judy stayed frozen, thinking about what just happened. He passed her a Hunger, not making eye contact. She grabbed the fruit, trying not to touch his paw.

After some minutes, they were both out of the forest, still eating their fruits. They did not exchange words after that experience, neither did they look at each other.

 _Why did he catch me? Why did he look at me like that? Maybe he is mad at me for not being able to climb that tree,_ she thought.

However, Judy was so lost in her train of thoughts that she didn't mind the gap in front of them, and almost fell in. Of course, Nick saved her again by holding her shoulder. After giving him a weird and confused look, Judy looked in front of her and gasped.

Enormous diamonds floating in the sky. They were so huge, that they could be compared to a building. There was nothing holding them in place though. Downwards, pitch black. No ground could be seen.

"Is there any other way to cross this?" she asked quite scared from what she had just seen.

Nick examined them and measured in his brain what would be the best angle to jump on these diamonds.

"I'm afraid not." he replied. All of a sudden, he jumped as far as he could, landing on one of the nearby diamonds. "Jump!" he yelled, because of the distance between them.

Judy, successfully landed on the same diamond next to Nick. He looked at her and gave her an impressed look. "You're skilled." he complimented her, and she giggled in response. Then, he jumped on to the next diamond. Judy jumped after him and when she landed, she looked at him holding a victorious smile. It looked like a challenge to both of them.

"The one who's going to land first on the grass across us, is the winner." Nick said, pointing at the visible land in front of them. She nodded and they both run simultaneously.

Laughs, chuckles and giggles were coming out of both of them. They were having fun! After some seconds, they were both standing on the last diamond. They both exchanged glances and jumped at the same time, aiming at the same spot.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, they landed on that exact same spot, causing them to land on each other. Instead of panicking and apologizing, they just stared at each other and started laughing.

* * *

"Really?" Judy laughed. They were now sitting across from each other. In front of them, they built up a fire.

"No joke! You should have seen his face when he realized that I stole all of his seeds!" Nick exclaimed proudly.

"My mum was upset when she saw the rock, too." Judy admitted holding a serious face. He looked at her and thought of something to comfort her.

"But... it was worth it, wasn't it?" he asked sitting closer to her.

"Yeah, I guess so." she sniffed, and smiled at him. They locked eyes. _Oh no. This weird feeling again,_ he thought. He tried to snap out of it.

"Follow me." he broke their eye contact, again. "I have to show you something." he stood up and climbed a tree. Seeing him climb a tree again, Judy felt scared and unsafe. _What if she falls again?_ She failed to notice that he had gestured his paw out to her.

"Give me your paw. I'll help you." he smiled at her. She felt scared, but from the moment she met him, she chose to trust him. Her mum, always told her that she should never trust anyone, especially foxes. However... there was something special about this specific fox. The vibe that went straight through her every time they locked eyes, made her feel safe. Made her feel _at home._

He pulled her up, and placed her on his back, her arms wrapping around his neck. "Don't let go." he said. He climbed at the very top of the tree and they both sat on one of the big branches.

"Look up." he ordered her. She obeyed and gasped seeing billions of stars of different sizes, each one brighter that the other. The stars looked so close, she felt as if she could touch them.

Nick snapped a twig from the three and threw it to the sky. Judy's eyes widened, as the twig hit on one of the stars making it fall in Nick's paw. He chuckled at her reaction and said "You might think that this is a creepy place. However, there are things here that are nearly unbelievable."

Nick opened his paw and revealed the shiny object. It was a star shaped object, like one of those created from a child's imagination. It was shining, making her shiver. Suddenly Nick blew the star on her. It disappeared, shattering in grains of sand. Judy looked at him in awe. He smirked again at her reaction and explained.

"These are the stars in our world. All of them might look different on the outside but for _you_ , they're all the same on the inside. It's like when you meet someone. He's not special to you until you learn more about him. Until you see _through_ his eyes. When you do that, then everything else is different. Your perspective changes and even if you only know him for a few days, you _never_ forget him. This star won't be special to you unless you give him a name, a reason to be in your life."

He then threw another twig and another star fell on his paws. "Here." he showed her. "Name it."

"N-no. I-I can't. I don't know." she backed up unsure, lowering her ears. She felt guilty and she didn't know why.

"I know you can find the right name. I'll help you." he smiled. Judy bit her lower lip, thinking. What could be the right name? He was so nice to her. Maybe she could name the star after him.

"Wilde!"

"Hopps!" They both said each others names simultaneously. Judy giggled and Nick smiled slyly.

"Maybe we could name it _WildeHopps_?" he asked wiggling his brows suggestively. Judy nodded. Their star had a name now. And it was special. It represented _them_.

 _WildeHopps._

Nick blew the star again, and instead of disappearing, as Judy expected, it raise up in the dark blue sky and was shining brighter than all the stars.

"Every time we look at the sky, we'll see this star and remember this moment." Nick told her.

The night was wonderful. Everything about it. The sky, the stars, them. I wish this moment could last forever, she thought.

"We have to go down. It was a long day anyway." he shrugged and started climbing down.

"Nick." she called him, stopping him from climbing down.

"Thank you." Judy said, a blush appearing on her cheeks.

"No problem, Carrots." he replied smirking.

 **A/N: Thank you so much for reading this story :)**

 **To tell you the truth, I was really nervous seeing your reviews and reactions. I will try updating every day :)**

 **Please review kindly! 3**


	5. Chapter 5

Each hour, they were getting closer to their destination. Each day, Judy would learn more about Anonymous. After collecting some twigs, Nick carved them for protection purposes, since their next stop was the most dangerous of all. The mainland, where Nick's face represents hate. He was a thief to them. Nick wasn't really a thief though. He just cared too much about the animals. Unfortunately, they couldn't understand that. Nick told Judy that he stole seeds, so that the king won't live for long. Instead, he planted those trees for the residents. The king, was a selfish lion that only cared about himself, and Nick was the only one who could see that.

"What if they recognize you?" Judy asked nervously, holding a concerned face.

"Well, let's hope they won't. I carved a mask out of some wood. It's heavy, and I can't breath well while wearing it, but I don't want to risk it." he said getting the mask out of his bag. Only his eyes could be seen. "Let's go." he said, placing his heavy bag full of arrows on his back.

They were standing in front of a huge door. It was made of wood, but it looked strong. As they entered it, enormous and tiny houses were decorating the soil. Shops and bakeries could be seen and an appealing smell of fresh bread penetrated their noses. Animals of all sized were talking in different directions, all of them holding a serious face. It's so beautiful, she thought. Unfortunately, her look changed when she saw soldiers standing some meters away from them. They were wearing coppered uniforms holding silver swords, ready for any unexpected attack. She glanced up at Nick. She couldn't see his epxression, but she could tell he was nervous as well.

They started walking, always following the red sand, trying to ignore the weird looks they were getting. Judy's heart was beating fast. Faster than ever. What if they caught him? What if they put them in prison? What if she will never be able to get out of this world? Judy grabbed Nick's paw and held it tight. He glanced down at her through his mask, surprised.

"Don't worry." he whispered. She gave him a side smile, assuring him that she was okay.

"Give me all your money, pig!" threatened a raccoon holding his knife, pointing at a poor little pig.

"I don't have any money!" she said hiding her face. "Please, I'm begging you! Don't kill me!" she begged hugging herself.

Judy felt terrible seeing this, but she knew that she couldn't do anything.

"Hey!" Nick unexpectedly yelled. He approached the raccoon, taking his bow and arrow out of his bag.

"Stay out of it, you tree!" the raccoon said, commenting on his mask with his surprisingly highly pitched and raspy voice.

Some animals gathered around. Judy shook Nick's paw, and whispered "Please, let's just go." Nick ignored her, and targeted the raccoon, ready to shoot.

"You just dare touch the animal and I'll rip your head off!" Nick threatened him, making Judy's eyes widen in fear of what could happen next.

"It's better if you leave." he frowned inside of his mask. " _Now._ " he continued.

Suddenly, the raccoon used his knife, and with one swift move, ripped off his mask, revealing his face. Everyone recognized Nick, and gasped.

"I think it's better if _you_ leave, now." the raccoon smiled slyly.

 _"The outlaw!"_

 _"We need to call the soldiers!"_

 _"The thief mummy! Is he gonna steal my doll?"_

Voices echoed in Nick's ears, making him stay frozen. Some soldiers approached the crowd, holding their silver swords.

"Wilde!" they yelled.

"Nick!" Judy pulled his paw, and tried to run away from them. Nick came back from his train of thoughts and voices, and targeted his arrow to the soldiers.

"Run Judy." he ordered her.

"W-what about you?" she asked afraid, her voice cracking.

"I'll catch up to you, just run!" he said again.

Judy run away from them. She run and didn't want to look back. She was terrified. The same feeling she got when she was running away from her house came back.

 **FLASHBACK**

"You belong here!" her mum yelled back.

"Maybe I don't want to belong here!" she cried right at her mother's face, shamefully.

 **END OF FLASHBACK**

Judy's eyes were filled with tears. She felt so bad. She missed her mum. She missed her family. She stopped running and found herself trying to open a cabin's door, desperately wanting to enter it.

The door fortunately unlocked, and she rushed in, locking the door behind her. She sat on the floor, and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes shut, falling asleep,  
her face buried in her bent knees.

She woke up several hours later. She stood up, feeling thirsty. Then, something ruled her thoughts.

"Nick!" she screamed and run out of the cabin, her eyes moving rapidly, trying to spot Nick.

She searched for a few minutes. She was so worried as she imagined the worst that could happen.

"Come on Nick, please be alive." she prayed whispering to herself, while taking big breaths mentally.

Finally, she found him, laying in an alley with a dead-end.

"Nick!" she ran to him, holding her paws close to her mouth, seeing the blood coming out of his right arm.

"No, no, no, no, no!" she said to herself, trying to comprehend what she just saw. The was nowhere near him. His bow and precious arrows were absent. All the seeds were taken. With difficulty, Judy carried him, placing his arm around her neck. She was glad that she remembered where the cabin was, and after some painful minutes, that felt like hours, she arrived at the abandoned cabin and placed him on the couch. She ran to the kitchen and searched for a bandage. She couldn't find anything familiar, which cause her to panic.

"Think, Judy, think!" she said mentally to herself. She ripped off a piece of the collar of her shirt and tied his arm carefully. She stared at his face, trying to hold back her tears. Fortunately, he started breathing. Judy sighed and lowered her ears. How could I let this happen? Nick lost all of the seeds, his bag, his bow and arrow.  
He was hurt, and she felt guilty. She sniffed. Then, she looked around. It was a really beautiful cabin, but it was really dusty. Maybe she could clean up?

She dusted the place, mopped using an old mop and some clean water she found in a well behind the cabin. After an hour had passed, Judy's stomach growled.  
She was hungry, and they didn't have Hungers, anymore. Maybe she could cook something? She exited the cabin, grabbing the spare key on the table and locked the door.

She walked for some minutes, finding herself surrounded by a crowd again. The mainland was considered as the safest place of Anonymous. However, Judy seeing all of those thieves and criminals, had the opposite opinion. Not too far away from her, a tiger pushed a sheep, causing all of his personal belongings to fall on the cold ground. Some coins rolled and fell next to Judy. She picked them up, and glanced at the sheep, who unexpectedly ran away panicking. The tiger was hunting it!

Using her instincts, she found herself picking up all the money that had fallen off the frightened sheep.

She approached a kiosk full of fresh vegetables. She bought as many as she could, saving some coins in case of an emergency. Soon enough she was back at the cabin.  
As she entered the house, she didn't find Nick on the couch and her eyes widened.

Nick appeared from the bathroom, frowning painfully, while holding his arm. He glanced at her and smiled. "Carrots." he whispered.

"Nick!" she ran and wrapped her arms around his torso, burying her face in his Hawaiian shirt. He hugged her back, but groaned in pain because of his arm bending.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" she apologized and looked at his arm. "How did this happen?" she asked.

"I was not careful. They hit me with their swords, and took everything. Then, they chased me. I hid in an alley. They didn't find me, but I couldn't walk because of the pain." he explained as he sat on the couch. Judy placed the vegetables on the kitchen table and started cooking. She cleaned the knife she found in one of the drawers, and prepared a salad.

"I found this cabin when I was runny away." she gave him his salad in a small plate, and started eating hers. She then looked down, lowering her ears.

"What's wrong?" Nick asked concerned, chewing his food.

"I'm... I'm sorry. It's my fault." she said quietly, ashamed of herself not making eye contact. She felt her heart beat faster, as hot tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Hey, hey..." he placed the salad carefully next to him, approached and sat beside her. She covered her face with her paws, breaking down in tears. Nick caressed her shoulders and ears and brought her close to him, embracing her.

"I know this is crazy, and this is not the perfect plce for an adventure, and I might not be completely sure if I'm going to be alive tomorrow, but I know for sure that this is not your fault." he comforted her.

"B-but... h-how? If I never found this rock, I-I would have never fought with my m-mum... and I would never c-come h-here." she cried, her voice cracking as she broke down again.

"Yes... and we would have never met..." he whispered, making her stop crying and look at him with her glossy purple eyes.

"I know that you miss your family, but you're never alone. I'm by your side. We're friends, remember?" he told her tilting his head, trying to look straight at her eyes.

They locked eyes again. They both got lost in each others eyes, and Nick forgot everything that had happened.

"Yes. We are." she answered giggling, looking at his face. Nick looked confused hearing her say that.

"We are...?" he asked.

"Friends." Judy shrugged.

"Oh... yeah... right."

 _Friends. This weird feeling is called a friendship? I wonder. Could it be... love? Could it be more than just a... friendship?_


End file.
